Improvement in potato-diggers



A. HEULIN GS.

' Potato-Digger.

Patented May 6. 1856 AM. PHO TO-LITHO. C0. NM (OSBORNE? PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES Y ATENT FFICET ABRAM HEULINGS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAM HEULINGS, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Machines for Digging and Gathering Potatoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of the machine, and Fig 2 is a side elevation.

Similar characters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts of the machine.

The nature of my invention consists in combining with an open inclinedbed and vibrating rack leadin g to a receiver a series of rakes so swung to an endless chain that as each rake comes into action its teeth shall drop upon the front portion of the digging-cutter, so as to catch the potatoes as soon as they enter the mouth of said cutter and draw them up the inclined bed, as will be set forth.

In the drawings, A is the horizontal frame, supported on wheels 13, while movable about the axle O, by reason of boxes 7:. Upon said shaft is a secondary frame supporting the digging portion of the machine and the endless chain or rake-carrier.

The excavatorE,which resembles that used in othermachines of this nature, is connected with the boxes h by the side strips, 01 cl, lead ing to the pendent studs b, which are firmly.

secured to said boxes, and also by the open bed-bars 0, leading from the bottom of the excavator to cross-pieces between the pendent studs 1).

The rake-carrier runs on pulleys g and i upon shaftskand l, the former held by inclined standards a, attached to boxes h, and the latter held by studs m, arising from the rear of excavator E, so that by lifting the front of the excavator this secondary frame will turn about the main axle.

The excavator E is held up in front by nut n on screw 0, leading from strap 1), by which the depth of excavation is regulated. The whole system, consisting of excavator and rakes and inclined platform-bars e, is turned about the axle O by means of levers q and r and rod 8. Connected with the excavator E is the opener and top cutter, F, consisting of a double mold-board with a sharp projecting edge, t. This cutter is attached to-side strips, a, connected at b with the sides of the excavator, so as to be movable about said connection. This adjustment is produced by strap 0 and nut c, the nut being attached to the strap,

and by moving over the screw 0, connected with the excavator, serves to regulate the dis] tance between the cutting-edges of excavator E and cutter F.

Swung from the main frame A by straps or rods G is a grating, H, composed of longitudinal bars 6, slightly inclining rearward. This grating receives a vibration from the rotation of pulley i by means of rod I and crank k. In rear of this grating is the receiver R, swung to the main frame to receive the potatoes, and capable of removal for the discharge of its contents.

The rake-carrier consists of an endless chain,

' P, running over pulleys g and i, the former of which is rotated from the main wheel B by the cog-wheels m, Z, 0, and p. rakes R are turned at right angles to their handles and jointed with the chain, so as to lie flat upon it when descending, and in turning the lower pulley, i, to fall with their teeth upon the front portion of the excavator, the teeth passing between the bars 6 as the rakes ascend.

The operation of this machine is as follows: The excavator E is adjusted to dig the requisite depth by means of nut a, and the relative position of the cutting-edges of top cutter and excavator adjusted by nut 0. Wheel P is then thrown in gearwith wheel 0, and the machine driven forward. The cutter F throws off the top of the ridge and cuts the tops loose from the roots, its inclined faces carrying them out of the way of the excavator. The excavator passes through the ridge and under the potatoes, which, as soon as they enter the scoop, are caught by the rakes and rapidly drawn up the open bed e and discharged upon the reciprocating grating H, whence they pass into the receiver R. In their transit along bars 0 and e the potatoes are entirely separated from the The ends of the earth which was dug up with them by the excavator.

The action of my rakes upon the potatoes from their entrance upon the excavator until they are delivered on the reciprocating grating is that of an ordinary rake operated by handa result which is unattainable by any system of teeth which move radially around a carrier at the moment of action, as such teeth necessarily engage the article to be drawn at an angle and press it against the surface on which it rests before the teeth'can'assume a perpendicular position with respect to that surface, and the article he established in front of the teeth to be moved by them.

1 disclaim all systems of teeth or brushes which have radial positions upon revolving carriers at the time of action, whether they be upon an endless band or on a cylinder, as in Schafiers patent of 1853, as their action is altogether diflerentfrom that of my construction; but

What I do claim as new and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the excavator E and inclined open bed 6 with the series of rakes B,

so connected with the endless carrier that the rake-teeth will be projected to the front of the excavator at, or nearly at, right angles to its 

